Wicomico County Continues to Discuss Redistricting Map

The Wicomico County Council will continue to discuss the county’s redistricting map today after council members expressed interest in looking at an alternate plan at a public meeting last night. The council is currently considering two plans, Plan A, developed by the redistricting committee, and Plan B, developed by the Department of Planing and Zoning. From the Salisbury Daily Times:

The county’s five districts are redrawn every 10 years to adjust for changes in population and to ensure the five council members with districts represent roughly the same number of people. In addition to the council’s five members who represent one district, there are two at-large members, who represent the entire county on the council.

Redistricting law also requires the county to have one minority-majority district, in which a majority of the population is African-American As part of Plan A, that district — District 1 — would include a 59.03 African American population.
Plan B was drawn up by Frank McKenzie of the Department of Planning and Zoning, and not by the redistricting committee. One of the main differences between the plans is that Plan B would displace 21,000 people and increase the number of precincts to 45.

Plan A would increase the number of precincts from 38 to 50 and split the city of Salisbury into 4 districts.